That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
Parallel translations
- WEB On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.
- KJV On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
- NKJV That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
- NASB During that night the king could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
- NLT That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
That same night the sleepless king has the royal chronicles read to him. A small, providential detail begins the great reversal.
Overview
The king's insomnia and choice to hear the records read are ordinary events, yet they fall precisely when Haman plots Mordecai's death. Though God is unnamed, His unseen hand is unmistakable in this timing. The verse beautifully illustrates how divine providence governs even a restless night to accomplish the deliverance of His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Dan 2:1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
- Dan 6:18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
- Esth 2:23After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
- Isa 41:17The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Rom 11:33O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Esth 5:8If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
- Esth 10:2And all of Mordecai’s powerful and magnificent accomplishments, together with the full account of the greatness to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?
- 1 Sam 23:26–27Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
- Mal 3:16At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.
- Gen 22:14And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
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Christ at the center
Though God is never named, his hidden hand preserves the people from whom the Messiah will come — a deliverance 'for such a time as this' that anticipates the open deliverance of Christ.
How Esther 6:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.